How to Care For Tulips

Wondering how to have a magnificent floral display at your party or wedding? Learn how to care for tulips and your wish will come true. Tulips are available in a huge range of colors, and though some people dislike their fleshy stems which are not, admittedly, easy to arrange in floral foam, the flexibility of tulips makes them ideal for other type of arrangement which cannot be made with more ordinary flowers like chrysanthemums or roses.

I love all flowers, but some are truly special and tulips are among them. Learn how to care for single flowered tulips for a pretty display of pastels, they look stunning in white, blush pink, apricot, lemon and pale lavender, or use lily flowered tulips for a frilled effect that is similar to peonies but with a far wider range of colors available.

If you’re searching for a gothic flower and want to avoid the cliche of red roses, black tulips are the answer. Learn how to care for tulips and you can arrange them in so many different ways; submerged in a cylinder vase, bent around the inside of a bowl or tall glass oval, bunched together tightly in a vase, or spilling out of their container, frilled flowers smiling at the world.

if you’re looking for something more unusual, drop dead gorgeous, out of the ordinary, then parrot tulips are the answer. The petals are frilled and the colors combine, they are available in red and yellow for a fabulous show, but my personal favorite is the parrot tulip in green.

Don’t be afraid of tulips – embrace them, their flexible stems mean they can be used in ways other flowers can’t as you’ll see if you check out our tulip centerpiece ideas and learn how to create a stunning tulip centerpiece, but before you begin, you should treat your tulips well.

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Green Parrot tulips shipped direct from Holland

Buying Tulips in Bulk

If you have bought your tulips in bulk they will arrive in one or more boxes and, just as you would be, they’ll be tired from their journey. You need to get them out of the box and into some water as soon as you can. If you bought flowers from FiftyFlowers you’ll receive a phone call to tell you when the flowers are delivered, and be given the option to talk to someone about flower care.

Buying Tulips in the Supermarket

Tulips will appreciate clean water and care, but unless you plan to use them on the same day as you buy them, always buy tulips when the flowers are tightly closed. Tulips are phototropic, they grow towards the light and they will grow, even after they cut, so its best to arrange them simply, or close to your event, another reason why its important to know how to care for tulips.

How to Care For Tulips

Whatever your source here’s how to care for tulips:

If your flowers arrive in a box, open it and remove the flowers, but don’t cut the rubber bands that hold the flowers together in a bunch.

Fill clean containers with at least 4 inches of fresh, cool water. It’s best of the container is quite tall and transparent so you can keep an eye on the water level.

Cut the stems of your tulips at an angle about an inch from the bottom. Try to cut them under running water and using a knife rather than scissors if you can.

Immediately after cutting, place the stems in the prepared water.

Tulips will continue to grow for about a day after they have been put in water.

Let the flowers stand in the water for at least 4 hours, 8 hours is better, overnight can be better than that, but it does depend on the temperature.

Place Tulips in a place with even light, or rotate frequently as Tulips will turn to face the light.

Keep an eye on the water level. Tulips will drink a great deal when they arrive and if the water runs out, they will droop. You might like to prepare water pearls for your flowers to soak in. Change the water every day.

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